How to do Things with Shakespeare: New Approaches, New Essays

Copyright © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

How to do Things with Shakespeare: New Approaches, New Essays

Editor(s): Laurie Maguire

Published Online: 1 APR 2008

Print ISBN: 9781405135269

Online ISBN: 9780470694114

DOI: 10.1002/9780470694114

About this Book

Product Information

About The Product

This collection of 12 essays uses the works of Shakespeare to show how experts in their field formulate critical positions.


  • A helpful guidebook for anyone trying to think of a new approach to Shakespeare
  • Twelve experts take new critical positions in their field of study using the writings and analysis of Shakespeare, to show how writers (students and academics) find topics and develop their ideas
  • Features autobiographical prefaces that explain how the experts chose their topics and why the editor commissioned these particular essays, topics, and authors
  • Argues that literary research is a reaction to experiences, thoughts or feelings
  • Essays are arranged in small dialogues of two or three, forming a debate
  • Teaches students to respond individually to cultural positions

Table of contents

    1. You have free access to this content
      Frontmatter (pages i–x)

    1. Introduction (pages 1–3)

  3. Part I: How to do Things with Sources

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      Editor's Introduction (pages 5–10)

    2. Chapter 1

      French Connections: The Je-Ne-Sais-Quoi in Montaigne and Shakespeare (pages 11–33)

      Richard Scholar

    3. Chapter 2

      Romancing the Greeks: Cymbeline's Genres and Models (pages 34–53)

      Tanya Pollard

    4. Chapter 3

      How the Renaissance (Mis)Used Sources: The Art of Misquotation (pages 54–76)

      Julie Maxwell

  4. Part II: How to do Things with History

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      Editor's Introduction (pages 77–81)

    2. Chapter 4

      Henry VIII, or All is True: Shakespeare's “Favorite” Play (pages 82–100)

      Chris R. Kyle

    3. Chapter 5

      Catholicism and Conversion in Love's Labour's Lost (pages 101–130)

      Gillian Woods

  5. Part III: How to do Things with Texts

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      Editor's Introduction (pages 131–135)

    2. Chapter 6

      Watching as Reading: The Audience and Written Text in Shakespeare's Playhouse (pages 136–159)

      Tiffany Stern

    3. Chapter 7

      What do Editors do and Why does it Matter? (pages 136–159)

      Anthony B. Dawson

  6. Part IV: How to do Things with Animals

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      Editor's Introduction (pages 181–184)

    2. Chapter 8

      “The Dog is Himself”: Humans, Animals, and Self-Control in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (pages 185–209)

      Erica Fudge

    3. Chapter 9

      Sheepishness in The Winter's Tale (pages 210–229)

      Paul Yachnin

  7. Part V: How to do Things with Posterity

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      Editor's Introduction (pages 231–235)

    2. Chapter 10

      Time and the Nature of Sequence in Shakespeare's Sonnets: “In Sequent Toil All Forwards do Contend” (pages 236–254)

      Georgia Brown

    3. Chapter 11

      Canons and Cultures: Is Shakespeare Universal? (pages 255–279)

      A.E.B. Coldiron

    4. Chapter 12

      “Freezing the Snowman”: (How) can We do Performance Criticism? (pages 280–297)

      Emma Smith

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      Index (pages 298–308)

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